Refrigerator construction



Jan. 18, 1927. 1,615,099

FL /\.!?lEi REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb, 14. 1925 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Jan. 18 1927.

R. A. RIEK REFRIGERATOR C0 NSTRUCTION Filed Feb 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1-.lll

Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

STATES RUDOIZPH A. RI'IEK; OFRHINELANDER', WISGONSIN.

REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed Febnuary' 14, 1925.

This invention relates to a refrigerator construction, one of its objects being toprovide a one-piece porcelain lining having. simple and. eflicient means-whereby the ice tank can be firmly supported withinthe lining while at the same time suilicient space is left between the walls of the tank andv the walls of the lining tov prevent condensation of moisture upon the outer surfaces: of the lining. walls such as would result should the ice within the tank come into contact with metal which, in turn, is in direct contact with the lining. It has long been a: recognized advantage to form a porcelain refrigerator lining in: one piece but it has not heretofore been practical to mount the ice tank inside ofthe one-piece porcelainlining. In fact the general. practice has been to make aporcelain lining substantially L-shaped and to mount the ice tank outside of the lining within the angle of the L.. Such. a construction has been objectionable, however, because when. the refrigerator has been as sembled the direct contact of ice with the walls of the ice tank has resulted. in condensation of moisture upon the outer surface of the walls of. the ice tank and this, in turn, has kept the insulating materialconstantly damp. Consequently, this material has soon rotted and. the confined moisture has found its way toithe outer finish of'therefrigerator, and warped and discolored it.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a one-piece rectangular lining. without seams and this lining has mounted within it a. simple and eflicient means whereby a separate ice tank, which is complete in itsel'ficanbe supported within the lining with its walls spaced from the walls of the lining. so: as to constitute shields for spacing the ice from the lining walls.

Another object is to so mount the ice tank within the rectangular porcelain lining that air is free to circulate between the Walls of the ice tank and the lining.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of What is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Serial No. 9,332.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawings Figure 1. is a front elevation of a onepiece porcelain lining in which an ice tank is mounted in accordance with the present invention. a portion of the front frame of the-refrigerator structure being indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through. the ice tank and a portion of the lining and frame yoke of the refrigerator.

3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a section on line 4--el, Fig.2..

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the ice tank.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1. designates a seamless rectangular lining of sufficiently large proportions to contain not only the provision compartments of a refrigerator, but also the ice tank. This lining has its front face opene and surrounded by flanges 2 which, as illustrated particularly in. Figs. 2 and at, are inturned at their free edges as shown at 3. This lining is formed without seams, it being understood that the said lining is of durable sheet metal provided with a porcelain finish covering the entire inner surface thereof. Thus when the lining is mounted behind the front frame F of a. refrigerator structure an attractive white interior will. be presented when the doors of the refrigerator are open. This lining can be attached. to-the front frame of the refrigerator by means of metal clips, each of which includes a small yoke 4.- from one end of which extends an attaching plate 5. The yokes are adapted to be placed astride the free inturned edges of the flanges at desired points and by means of'screws 6 extending from the plates 5, these clips can be drawn tightly against the frame F so as to cause the yokes to pull upon the flanges 2 and bind them against the frame F. In this way the lining is firmly attached to the frames.

The lining is adapted to be spaced from the walls of the refrigeratorcasing: by any suitable insulating means. In the drawings a portion. of the casing has been illustrated at I. It is preferred, When assembling this lining with the balance of the refrigerator, to surround the lining with insulating paper sheets, P which materially assists in the insulation ofthe lining and furthermore extend over the fastening means that are cur ployed for holding the lining to the frame F and for holding the ice tank within the lining as hereinafter explained.

The lining 1 is provided with one or more openings 7 for the reception of bolts 8 and these bolts serve to attach a supporting strip 9 to the back wall of the lining. This strip can be formed of wood or any other suitable material and constitutes both a spacing means and a supporting means. The bolts also extend through and serve to fasten in place the back wall of the ice tank 10. This tank is complete in itself and can be formed of galvanized sheet metal or any other suitable material. The ice tank is provided with a back wall 11, side walls 12, and 13, and a bottom 1%. An apron 15 is inclined upwardly from the forward portion of the bottom and terminates in an outwardly extended flange 16 which is adapted to rest upon and to be secured to the sill S of the door opening formed in frame F in front of the ice tank. This opening has been indicated at 0. An opening 17 is formed in the bottom 1 1- through which cold air is free to circulate downwardly from the ice tank.

A flange 18 is extended rearwardly from the upper edge of the back wall 11 and this flange overhangs and preferably bears downwardly on the strip 9. Obviously when the bolts 8 are tightened the rear wall of the ice tank, the strip 9, and the rear wall of the lining 1, will all be clamped together tightly and as the tank is supported at the back by strip 5), bolts 8 and flange 19 and at the front by flange 16 resting on the sill S, it will be seen that the ice tank will be securely held and will support any quantity of ice that might be placed in the tank.

The side walls 12 and 13 of the ice tank are provided with flanges 19 at their upper edges which serve to stiffen these walls as will be obvious. The flange 19 on the wall 12 also acts as a spacing means whereby said wall held away from the adjoining wall. of the lining 1. This leaves an air space which protects the side wall of the lining and, consequently, there is no danger of moisture condensing upon the outer surface of the lining where it might injure the insulating material or the casing of the refrigerator. The front edge of the side wall 12 is provided with a laterally extended flange 20 which is clamped between the flange 2 of the lining and the frame F as shown particularly in Fig. 4. The side wall 13 has a flange 21 which is extended toward the wall 12 and is suitably fastened to the back sur face of the frame F at one side of the door opening 0.

It will be obvious that by mounting an ice tank in the manner described it is possible to arrange it within a one-piece rectangular porcelain lining so that ice will thus be conserved to the maximum, injury to the insulation and to the casing of the refrigerator as a result of sweating is eliminated, and a free and efficient circulation of air upwardly between all of the walls of the ice tank and the walls of the lining and thence downwardly through the ice tank and the opening 17 is effected with the result that the refrigerator will consume less ice, and will maintain a lower temperature than would otherwise be possible.

By mounting the tank 12 as shown and described it becomes possible to properly assemble it with the lining and thereafter to combine the lining and the tank with the wooden structure of the refrigerator. Thus the operation of assembling the parts is materially simplified and a very desirable saving is effected in quantity production.

It will be seen that by referring to Fig. 5 that the flange 19 on the wall. 12 does not extend throughout the width of said wall but leaves openings at the ends of the flange through which air is free to circulate up wardly from the space between the side of the ice tank and the side of the lining 1.

What is claimed is 1. In a refrigerator, a door frame structure, a one-piece seamless porcelained metal lining, a metal ice tank surroumled by the lining, a spacing element interposed between the back of the tank and the back of the lining, and means for fastening together the back of the tank, the spacing element and the back of the lining for supporting the tank fixedly within the lining, the front of the tank being secured to the door frame structure.

2. In a refrigerator, the combination with a one-piece seamless lining having a backturned flange at the open face of the lining, and a frame in front of the lining, of clips secured to the frame and straddling the flanges to bind the lining to the frame, a tank surrounded by the lining and spaced from the walls thereof, and flanges upon the tank, one of said flanges being clamped between the frame and one of the flanges of the lining.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature.

RUDOLPH A. RIEK. 

